Education and its Relation to Sexually Transmitted Diseases
By Hattem Mohyeldin
There is a considerable lack of female education in the sub-Saharan region of Africa. This affects the literacy rate, and contributes to the increase of HIV and AIDS cases. The lack of female education explains is often led back to culturally bound-traditions of gender relations, which make up the predominant socio-cultural beliefs in the sub-Saharan region. These beliefs would include things as; male dominance, female oppression, slavery-systems, and the treatment of children based on gender (Benefo 2006, Soussou 2008). According to a worldwide UNESCO fact sheet in 2002, the majority of 120 million children that would never go to school consisted of the female gender (UNESCO 2002).
The issue of female education in the sub-Saharan affects many people from world-wide organizations such as World Vision – UNESCO, to the government and governmental organizations within the region, and to corporations such as Nike and Microsoft who aid these organizations in spreading education throughout the world. Nevertheless, the major stakeholders in this issue are the children and teachers who do not have the support to educate females.
Reasons and Statistics
There are various reasons explaining why there are substantially lower figures of female students in the sub-Saharan region compared to male students. These reasons include gender relations, cultural practices, poverty, and duties for women in households (Soussou 2008). In the past, female education in primary, elementary and secondary education had significant differences compared to male education, but over the last decade, those numbers have come closer.
Nevertheless there is still a lower ratio of female education to male education in primary education than there is in secondary education within sub-Saharan Africa (Sossou 2008). Between secondary and high school education, the differences increase again. Additionally the gaps may even widen within the junior and senior levels of a certain level of school.
The following will be discussions of the statistics within two specific countries (Ghana and Nigeria) in the sub-Saharan region, in order understand the problem caused throughout the region.
Ghana
During the 1999-2000 school year in Ghana, 44.9% of enrolled students were female at the junior level of both secondary and high school. During the same year at the senior level, the percent of females dropped dramatically to 33% (Sossou 2008).
Although these numbers are increasing due to amazing world-wide campaigns to help children suffering in different regions of the world, girls still face discrimination in access to educational facilities in a majority of developing countries (Sossou 2008). This discrimination also accounts for the difference of dropout rates between males and females within Ghana, with 18% for males, and 26% for females.
Nigeria
Until the 1970s, there was not much effort done by the Nigerian government to implement free education for all, since the socio-cultural background of the nation prevented some progress in doing so. In 2003, at the primary level, the net enrolment of female children in Nigeria was 59.1%, compared to 67.7% for male children (Sossou 2008).
Although those numbers suggest that the gap is tightening, once you look at the high school level, the percentage of net male children enrolled was 67%, however, only 33% for females.Compare this percent to 78.1% of the net females in Canada over the age of 15, with a high school diploma or any higher degree of education (Stats Can. 2007). This comparison clearly shows the problem that is occurring within sub-Saharan Africa, and how much this issue needs to be addressed.
Many of these numbers are caused do to socio-cultural tradition within communities in the sub-Saharan region. For instance, within the western region of the sub-Sahara, the total illiteracy race is at 42% (Sossou, 2004), which is dramatically high compared to both developed and developing countries. The statistics discussed earlyer are said to be due to the “gender inequality and discrimination, which takes root in patriarchy” (Sossou 2008). The reason for this would be the “systemic conditioning, which originates in the family and in society,” then spreading to the masses and become culturally embedded (Sossou 2008). These types of socio-cultural beliefs and traditions have forced the female population of sub-Saharan Africa to be degraded to such a point that their opinions or concerns do not matter, especially when it comes to their sexual activities. Thus, it is important to address the issue of how Sexually Transmitted Diseases are rapidly spread throughout uneducated women. Especially since they have no cultural rights in convincing their partners in what to do in order to protect both people involved.
The relation of Education with Sexual Activity and HIV/AIDS
There is a significant amount of uneducated women within the sub-Saharan region. It is also known that education has a correlation with age group in some countries. Furthermore, age group has also has a correlation with the contraction of HIV/AIDS in most of sub-Saharan Africa (Wajcicki 2004). There seems to be a significant connection between uneducated women within low socio-economic statuses (SES) and the contraction of HIV/AIDS (Wajcicki 2004). In 1998 there were over 2 million deaths due to AIDS alone in sub-Saharan Africa (Wajcicki 2004).
Most infections throughout the region are transmitted through heterosexual intercourse (Wajcicki 2004). Additionally, younger women have a higher chance to contract HIV during heterosexual intercourse since their productive organs have not developed enough to resist an infection (Wajcicki 2004), and these younger women also lack the education and courage to protect themselves during times of sexual intercourse. Another reason of an increased risk of contracting an infection would include the sociocultural status of a family within a community, since the women are often involved in polygamous marriages, where the male has other sexual relationships, and the women often have extreme difficulties and fail at changing their partners behaviours towards safe-sex.
Of 36 studies that met the criteria of SES, only 15 of them found no connection between a female’s SES and her risk of getting HIV infection (Wajcicki 2004). Only one study did not include SES as a major factor in determining rates of infection (Wajcicki 2004), showing that in most of the studies education and economic status of and within a community has a strong relation to the chance of getting infected with HIV/AIDS. On the contradictory note 12 of the 36 studies found a correlation between high SES (based on education) and an increased risk in attaining a HIV infection. Of the 12, six found a direct relation between female education and HIV infection rates.
These results bring up the question on why does higher education provide an increased risk to infections of an STD? There are many ways in answering this question, from the lack of access of safe-sex products (such as condoms), to the female’s partners’ level of education, employment rates, and the location of a community (rural, village, street, etc) (Wajcicki 2004). Nevertheless, it is evident that in most studies, the education level and infected level do pose a strong relation within sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, the majority of studies have shown that there is an even stronger correlation between lower education and increased risk of attaining an STD.
It is evident that there is a lack of education through out the sub-Saharan region of Africa, especially in the female population, and this lack of education has shown a great correlation between the rates of acquiring HIV and AIDS. Increasing public awareness to these issues is crucial, since there will need to be a worldwide effort to help those who require higher education. Programs throughout the region are structured on the premise that “…increasing female education will result in decreased risk taking and better health outcomes…” (Wajcicki 2004) even if the program does not have any content focused on sexual or health related topics.
Aid
Cindy - A Female Student in Zimbabwe
There are currently many programs and campaigns through out sub-Saharan Africa to aid in this crisis. Examples of these would include Priority Africa, ninemillion.org, and the Campaign for Female Education in Africa (CAMFED). However, much work still needs to be done in order to spread awareness and aid to all the people that need a helping hand in spreading the gift on knowledge to those who need it, and protect them from infections that could cost them their lives.
Tuwor, Theresa, and Marie-Anntoinette Sossou. "Gender discrimination and education in West Africa: strategies for maintaining girls in school." International Journal of Inclusive Education 12 (2008): 363-79.
Wajcicki, Janet M. "SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AS A RISK FACTOR FOR HIV INFECTION IN WOMEN IN EAST, CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AFRICA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW." Journal of Biosocial Science 37 (2005): 1-36.
Sub-Saharan Africa Gender Crises:
Education and its Relation to Sexually Transmitted Diseases
By Hattem MohyeldinThere is a considerable lack of female education in the sub-Saharan region of Africa. This affects the literacy rate, and contributes to the increase of HIV and AIDS cases. The lack of female education explains is often led back to culturally bound-traditions of gender relations, which make up the predominant socio-cultural beliefs in the sub-Saharan region. These beliefs would include things as; male dominance, female oppression, slavery-systems, and the treatment of children based on gender (Benefo 2006, Soussou 2008). According to a worldwide UNESCO fact sheet in 2002, the majority of 120 million children that would never go to school consisted of the female gender (UNESCO 2002).
The issue of female education in the sub-Saharan affects many people from world-wide organizations such as World Vision – UNESCO, to the government and governmental organizations within the region, and to corporations such as Nike and Microsoft who aid these organizations in spreading education throughout the world. Nevertheless, the major stakeholders in this issue are the children and teachers who do not have the support to educate females.
Reasons and Statistics
There are various reasons explaining why there are substantially lower figures of female students in the sub-Saharan region compared to male students. These reasons include gender relations, cultural practices, poverty, and duties for women in households (Soussou 2008). In the past, female education in primary, elementary and secondary education had significant differences compared to male education, but over the last decade, those numbers have come closer.Nevertheless there is still a lower ratio of female education to male education in primary education than there is in secondary education within sub-Saharan Africa (Sossou 2008). Between secondary and high school education, the differences increase again. Additionally the gaps may even widen within the junior and senior levels of a certain level of school.
The following will be discussions of the statistics within two specific countries (Ghana and Nigeria) in the sub-Saharan region, in order understand the problem caused throughout the region.
Ghana
During the 1999-2000 school year in Ghana, 44.9% of enrolled students were female at the junior level of both secondary and high school. During the same year at the senior level, the percent of females dropped dramatically to 33% (Sossou 2008).Although these numbers are increasing due to amazing world-wide campaigns to help children suffering in different regions of the world, girls still face discrimination in access to educational facilities in a majority of developing countries (Sossou 2008). This discrimination also accounts for the difference of dropout rates between males and females within Ghana, with 18% for males, and 26% for females.
Nigeria
Until the 1970s, there was not much effort done by the Nigerian government to implement free education for all, since the socio-cultural background of the nation prevented some progress in doing so. In 2003, at the primary level, the net enrolment of female children in Nigeria was 59.1%, compared to 67.7% for male children (Sossou 2008).Although those numbers suggest that the gap is tightening, once you look at the high school level, the percentage of net male children enrolled was 67%, however, only 33% for females.Compare this percent to 78.1% of the net females in Canada over the age of 15, with a high school diploma or any higher degree of education (Stats Can. 2007). This comparison clearly shows the problem that is occurring within sub-Saharan Africa, and how much this issue needs to be addressed.
Many of these numbers are caused do to socio-cultural tradition within communities in the sub-Saharan region. For instance, within the western region of the sub-Sahara, the total illiteracy race is at 42% (Sossou, 2004), which is dramatically high compared to both developed and developing countries. The statistics discussed earlyer are said to be due to the “gender inequality and discrimination, which takes root in patriarchy” (Sossou 2008). The reason for this would be the “systemic conditioning, which originates in the family and in society,” then spreading to the masses and become culturally embedded (Sossou 2008). These types of socio-cultural beliefs and traditions have forced the female population of sub-Saharan Africa to be degraded to such a point that their opinions or concerns do not matter, especially when it comes to their sexual activities. Thus, it is important to address the issue of how Sexually Transmitted Diseases are rapidly spread throughout uneducated women. Especially since they have no cultural rights in convincing their partners in what to do in order to protect both people involved.
The relation of Education with Sexual Activity and HIV/AIDS
There is a significant amount of uneducated women within the sub-Saharan region. It is also known that education has a correlation with age group in some countries. Furthermore, age group has also has a correlation with the contraction of HIV/AIDS in most of sub-Saharan Africa (Wajcicki 2004). There seems to be a significant connection between uneducated women within low socio-economic statuses (SES) and the contraction of HIV/AIDS (Wajcicki 2004). In 1998 there were over 2 million deaths due to AIDS alone in sub-Saharan Africa (Wajcicki 2004).
Most infections throughout the region are transmitted through heterosexual intercourse (Wajcicki 2004). Additionally, younger women have a higher chance to contract HIV during heterosexual intercourse since their productive organs have not developed enough to resist an infection (Wajcicki 2004), and these younger women also lack the education and courage to protect themselves during times of sexual intercourse. Another reason of an increased risk of contracting an infection would include the sociocultural status of a family within a community, since the women are often involved in polygamous marriages, where the male has other sexual relationships, and the women often have extreme difficulties and fail at changing their partners behaviours towards safe-sex.
Of 36 studies that met the criteria of SES, only 15 of them found no connection between a female’s SES and her risk of getting HIV infection (Wajcicki 2004). Only one study did not include SES as a major factor in determining rates of infection (Wajcicki 2004), showing that in most of the studies education and economic status of and within a community has a strong relation to the chance of getting infected with HIV/AIDS. On the contradictory note 12 of the 36 studies found a correlation between high SES (based on education) and an increased risk in attaining a HIV infection. Of the 12, six found a direct relation between female education and HIV infection rates.
These results bring up the question on why does higher education provide an increased risk to infections of an STD? There are many ways in answering this question, from the lack of access of safe-sex products (such as condoms), to the female’s partners’ level of education, employment rates, and the location of a community (rural, village, street, etc) (Wajcicki 2004). Nevertheless, it is evident that in most studies, the education level and infected level do pose a strong relation within sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, the majority of studies have shown that there is an even stronger correlation between lower education and increased risk of attaining an STD.
It is evident that there is a lack of education through out the sub-Saharan region of Africa, especially in the female population, and this lack of education has shown a great correlation between the rates of acquiring HIV and AIDS. Increasing public awareness to these issues is crucial, since there will need to be a worldwide effort to help those who require higher education. Programs throughout the region are structured on the premise that “…increasing female education will result in decreased risk taking and better health outcomes…” (Wajcicki 2004) even if the program does not have any content focused on sexual or health related topics.
Aid
There are currently many programs and campaigns through out sub-Saharan Africa to aid in this crisis. Examples of these would include Priority Africa, ninemillion.org, and the Campaign for Female Education in Africa (CAMFED). However, much work still needs to be done in order to spread awareness and aid to all the people that need a helping hand in spreading the gift on knowledge to those who need it, and protect them from infections that could cost them their lives.
[1]
ninemillion.org - How different ways of reaching out to children will get their attention [2]
Priority Africa - Higher Education [3]
Cindy - A Case by CAMFED [4]
Works Cited
Benefo, Kofi D. "The community-level effects of women's education on reproductive behavior in rural Ghana." Demographic Research 14 (2006): 485-508. <http://www.demographic-research.org/Volumes/Vol14/20/>.
Stats., Can. "Canada at a Glance 2008 - Education." Canada at a glance 2008 | Coup d'oeil sur le Canada 2008. Statistics Canada. 3 Feb. 2009 <http://www45.statcan.gc.ca/2008/cgco_2008_003-eng.htm>.
Tuwor, Theresa, and Marie-Anntoinette Sossou. "Gender discrimination and education in West Africa: strategies for maintaining girls in school." International Journal of Inclusive Education 12 (2008): 363-79.
"UNESCO Institute for Statistics: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (3.14)." Welcome to the UIS Website. 03 Feb. 2009 <http://www.uis.unesco.org/ev.php?ID=2867_201&ID2=DO_TOPIC>.
Wajcicki, Janet M. "SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AS A RISK FACTOR FOR HIV INFECTION IN WOMEN IN EAST, CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AFRICA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW." Journal of Biosocial Science 37 (2005): 1-36.
Images and Videos Cited